Mr moto,
Do you really want to talk about an even playing field? I think you are forgetting how long women have been kept off the playing field. Have you given that any consideration? Is equality only an issue for you when you feel it is being denied you and unimportant when you deny it to others?
I do compliment male pilots when they do a nice job. But as I said, I make a point of complimenting female pilots because of the bad treatment they get from some people. I think the majority accepts female pilots but they are a silent majority.
I came up the hard way. I’ve sold my blood for $8 to get a meal and I’ve gone hungry. I know all about being a “hangar rat”, slogging it up for 10 years and some. I don’t begrudge anyone who gets help. I especially don’t begrudge it for females because they have to overcome gender discrimination. When the number of female pilots who get help from daddy exceeds the number of male pilots who’ve gotten the same help let me know.
Maybe I see this differently because my wife works in a male dominated field. I’ve seen the things she has to put up with for twenty-two years. And I don’t think my daughter should have to go through her life like that.
Maybe it was seeing a male passenger loudly complain and refuse to get on the flight when he saw a female pilot. How would you like that if the shoe was on the other foot. And she was every bit as good as the males I fly with.
I’ll leave you with what my 17-year-old son says when he sees gender discrimination, “Do you think he’s compensating for something?”